AUBURN -- The banners were hung. A crammed auditorium was packed with family and friends eager to see Carver Montgomery quarterback Jeremy Johnson officially sign his National Letter of Intent to play at Auburn University.

All he needed was a pen.

After his first two pens failed, he finally received a pen from a family member behind him and closed the door on his recruitment by signing his letter of intent. He reached for the Auburn hat sitting on the table, the only cap in front of him, placed it on his head and gave the audience a relieved smile as he laughed to himself.

"All the stress is gone," Johnson said. "Now I can sit back and enjoy my senior year."

The four-star quarterback committed to Auburn in May 2012, but that didn't stop the overtures from SEC West rivals LSU and Ole Miss.